The Greek exile is known as Hoshech/Darkness (referring to the first-time darkness was mentioned in creation), because they darkened the eyes of the Jewish people with their decrees. On the other hand, Hanukkah is there to light up the darkness. As the Ben Ish Chai famously says, the 25th word in the Torah is אור/light.
In order to remember the miracles of Chanukah, there are two things that we do: L’Hallel U’Hodaot-we say Hallel, and as the Rambam says, we thank and praise G-d with the lighting of the menorah.
What exactly does the word Hallel mean? It means “to praise.” There is an interesting source to the meaning of Hallel, brought down by Rav Moshe Zakuta, a great Mekubal (which was the earliest source I was able to find). He quotes a pasuk from Iyov,
מִי יִתְּנֵנִי כְיַרְחֵי קֶדֶם כִּימֵי אֱלוֹהַּ יִשְׁמְרֵנִי
I wish I could go back to the old days when G-d was watching over me
בְּהִלּוֹ נֵרוֹ עֲלֵי רֹאשׁי
When he lit a candle on top of my head
לְאוֹרוֹ אֵלֶךְ חשֶׁךְ
To His light, I go in the darkness
This refers to, when back in the mother’s womb, there was a candle above his head, and he was learning Torah.
Rashi says that the word בְּהִלּוֹ B’Hilo means light and happiness. The Ramaz says that this is the source for the word Hallel- it means “to light up.” When we say Hallel we light up the darkness of our lives, by realizing and praising
G-d.
The Pesikta Rabati ( a midrash) asks why we say Hallel on Hanukah. The answer is because it says in Hallel
אל ה׳ ויאר לנו
G-d will light up for us.
The Sefer Pri Sadik says that by us saying Hallel, we merit that G-d will turn on the lights for us.
What we do down here, G-d does upstairs. So He will turn on the lights in our hearts as well.
Another major time that we say Hallel is on the night of Pesach. It says there,
Hallel, Nirtza- After Hallel, we find Ratzon- we find Favor in the eyes of
G-d.
The Sefer Magen Avraham ( known as the Maggid of Trisk) says in Parashat Tsav, that the word Hallel הלל has a numerical value of 65, the same as Hashem’s name spelled with א, ד, נ, and י which represents G-d the Boss. So when we say Hallel, we are recognizing that G-d is the Boss, and we are doing His will. He says that when we say Hallel and recognize Hashem as the Boss,
שישפיע אור חדש על כל ישראל
G-d lights up an new light,
לכל אחד ואחד
to every individual.
בכל הטובות והברכות
With all goodness and blessing
בכלל ופרט
general and specific
ברוחניות וגשמיות
With spirituality and physicality.
בני חיי ומזוני רויחי במהרה בימינו
Children, life, and sustenance with revach
These are powerful words, and that is what Hallel does when we praise Hashem. That is what takes us out of the darkness.
Our rabbis tell us that it’s not a coincidence that Hanukah is in the winter, with short days and long, dark nights. It starts at the end of the month, straddles Rosh Hodesh and goes into the next month. We have no other holiday like that.
Rav Chaim Pilaggi says, in his sefer Moed L’Kol Chai, that the pasuk says
כי אשב בחשך ה' אור לי,
When I’m sitting in the darkness, G-d will be a light for me.
That is a hint to Hanukah. And he says that hoshech, darkness, is what the Greeks tried to do, by taking away three mitzvot from us, ( which we discussed yesterday)
חדש (Rosh Hodesh)
שבת (Shabbat )
כריתת הברית ( Milah, which he calls “cutting a deal”)
The first letter of each of these spells חשך Hoshech- Darkness
They tried to take away Rosh Hodesh, Shabbat and Brit Milah but in that darkness, G-d brought us light.
We are learning a secret here. What causes the night to light up? Singing songs of praise to Hashem. Hallel is the power of בְּהִלּוֹ נֵרוֹ
He’s going to light His candle on my head. I can be in the darkness and pull myself out of the darkness with Hallel, because when we sing songs of Hallel -Nirtzah- we find favor in G-d’s eyes.
Today is Rosh Hodesh and Chanukah. If you’ve already said Hallel today, you still have another two days of Hallel, on Chanukah.
But Hallel is not just for Chanukah. Every day of your life, you can sing songs of praise to Hashem. That is the secret force of turning the lights on. Hashem will light our lights, when we light up His lights. And how do we light up the lights?
Hallel- Praising Hashem has that power.
We wish everybody that power of
אל ה׳ ויאר לנו
G-d should light us up.
Have a wonderful day, and a Hodesh Tov.